Welcome to the ultimate guide to drafting Starting Pitchers for 2026 Fantasy Baseball. I’ve ranked the Top 400 (actually 430…) starting pitchers for the year ahead in an attempt to determine every SP who could help your fantasy teams this season.
However, before you scroll down to the Top 1-20, it’s incredibly important that you read this introduction. It highlights how I rank pitchers and why this is not a projection of the end of season Player Rater. It’s my strategy of how I draft pitchers, embracing the burn and churn nature of the game.
Remember, these ranks are based on a 12-teamer, 5×5 roto format. Adjust accordingly to your situation. I’ve also added the Top 100 SP table at the bottom of this article.
For a table of the entire 400 SP (really 430!) and to read this article Ad-Free (or to simply support me for putting all of this together!), make sure to subscribe to PL+ or PL Pro where I have these rankings inside a massive Google Sheet, with my blurbs included. You can access the sheet inside our subscriber Discord.
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Read The Notes
Tier 30 – Has Job But Do You Care? (Cont’d)
251. Sean Burke (CHW, RHP)
There has been discussion of Burke pitching out of the pen instead of the rotation, and yet, I look at this rotation and wonder how they manage to get through a season without Burke going every five days. That isn’t to say he’s expected to be the arm we saw for an exciting trio of starts in September ’24 or even the absurd 97 mph four-seamer he displayed in his final game of the year – 4.1 IP and 80 pitches of one-run ball and ten strikeouts. Yeesh. – and it’ll come down to the secondaries. His four-seamer? It’s solid at 95+ mph with seven feet of extension, good vert, and high intent. We like this foundational pitch, not love but it’s why he’s here. The slider, curve, and change are what will make or break his season and I’m not confident. The slider is decent to RHB with a middling SwStr rate and generally outside, and it would take another step forward if he could get it properly down to escape barrels. LHB get served big curveballs and unwieldy changeups, both of which need to be better. The slowball’s sub 50% strike rate simply ain’t it, and the curveball’s massive -17″ drop sounds cool, but it makes it difficult for Burke to locate properly, ending up with a sub 55% loLoc and a bit too much damage off the pitch. If it can get a little bit lower without dipping under the 60% strike rate, it’s possible Burke can finally have a pitch against LHB above a 13% SwStr rate. That would be cool.
We could see a step forward from Burke this year, and I’ll be monitoring him during the year, hoping to find the perfect point to snag him off the wire. Don’t bank on growth. Instead, remember what to look for during the year and hope for the best.
Quick Take: I’m curious about Burke. The four-seamer is solid and there are paths to success with his secondaries to create a generally productive arm in 15-teamers, if not 12-teamers. He’s a possible add mid-season with too much risk without the high ceiling before any evidence of off-season development.
252. Bryce Elder (ATL, RHP)
What is it with Bryce having a few sparkling games to convince a subset of trusting managers each season? In the meat of some fantasy playoffs, Elder returned just 4 ER in four starts from 8/24 through 9/8, but sandwiched these games with 14 ER. This is all the analysis you really need. Sure, I could tell you about his sinker finding gloves and the slider landing down and in town enough to get whiffs, which leads to the peaks and valleys, but in your heart, you see it in front of you. You don’t know what you’re going to get. I don’t like that. No, because you’re smart. This ain’t football, you don’t have to flip a coin every week.
Oh, and he’s the depth arm. Probably the third choice if Atlanta finds themselves in a similar situation as last year – all of their opening day starters landed on the IL at the same time – and there’s no need to draft him. Obviously. Let’s hope for Atlanta’s sake that he doesn’t need to step in too often. Update: Okay, it has already begun with Schwellenbach missing time. Still, I see Elder behind Holmes, Pérez, and Wentz.
Quick Take: He’s a sinker/slider arm who can have a lovely day when his slider is cooking and sinkers visit the infield grass. It’s difficult to discern when it will go well, though, and when he’ll even get the opportunity again. This ain’t it.
253. Josiah Gray (WAS, RHP)
Hey, he’s back! We last saw Gray for just two starts in 2024 before going down with TJS and I am incredibly curious who we see on the mound. In his last full season, way back in 2023, we saw a four pitch mix of cutters, four-seamers, sliders, and curveballs, while his two starts in 2024 brough a new cast of characters – a sinker and changeup. The mix leads with a formerly 94 mph fastball at a flat 1.5 HAVAA with poor vert but excellent horizontal, creating a possible whiff pitch for LHB up-and-away and surprisingly tough to lace by RHB, with sub 35% ICR marks across his career. However, the pitch returned 27 HRs in 2024 and despite a dramatic reduction in 2023, it’s still something I’m worried about. The sinker we briefly saw in 2024 came with 17″ of horizontal and could be a better option against RHB, and I wonder if it’ll appear in spring.
Gray turned to a cutter in 2023 to deal with LHB and I’m a fan of the shift, even if it wasn’t the most spectacular of offerings. It doesn’t have special movement, but he was able to go Canibal McSanchez with his four-seamer, living upstairs and relying on its drop to confound batters for weak contact (and not the high number of called strikes you’d expect). It should return and it’s…fine. The real fun comes in his two breakers – a slider and curveball – that have missed bats in the passt, but didn’t jump out in 2023 and any hope for Gray to have a breakout return to the bigs hinges on these secondaries missing bats. They need to be thought buried in the mind of his opponents, keeping them distracted from his fastball mix. Hopefully he’s feeling better now and can spin them like we saw at the very early of his career, and time will tell. I’m highly skeptical we’ll see Gray become a 12-teamer arm overnight, though there is NL-Only sleeper value here, at least for volume across the season.
Quick Take: Gray needs to get his breakers back to 15-20% SwStr marks to become a proper fantasy arm once again, and hopefully his time recovering from TJS has filled up the tank. I don’t expect him to climb back to a 23%+ strikeout rate anytime soon, let alone paired with quality ratios to make it digestible, though there is a chance he’s better than ever after repairing his arm.
254. Miles Mikolas (WSH, RHP)
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255. Erick Fedde (CHW, RHP)
Remember kids, Don’t Trust The Feddes. He features a sinker/cutter approach as a foundation, and that sinker is rough. Terrible movement at 93 and it gets demolished by both LHB and RHB. I’m not sure why he doesn’t throw the 90/91 mph cutter more often with its proper cut-action that can be effective at its high velocity to both sides of the plate, or at least more deceptive than the sinker. Outside of playing “Will it go left or right” with those two offerings, Fedde has a sweeper for RHB that returned sub 60% strikes and sub 15% SwStr across its near 35% usage at a ghastly 24% CSW, and LHB saw Fedde steal some called strikes with the pitch + a changeup that would be put into storage by the majority of the league. The White Sox needed innings and Fedde will be able to give them some of those, but hot dang, this won’t be pretty.
256. Germán Márquez (SDP, RHP)
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257. Randy Vasquez (SDP, RHP)
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Tier 31 – Has Job But It’s The Rockies
258. Chase Dollander (COL, RHP)
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259. Kyle Freeland (COL, LHP)
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260. Jose Quintana (COL, RHP)
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261. Michael Lorenzen (COL, RHP)
LET HIM HIT
262. Tomoyuki Sugano (COL, RHP)
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Tier 32 – Monitor 2026 Prospect
263. Daniel Eagen (ARI, RHP, AA, Age 23) – Watch Video
There’s little information out there on Eagen, who was drafted in the third round of 2024’s draft and quickly moved from High-A to Double-A this season. He’s a tall right-hander with an over-the-top delivery that helps him create big drop on a low 80s curve, and through the video I saw, it looks as though he’s added a slider (and maybe a changeup for LHB?) to make a full arsenal. There was a legit stretch of nearly 30 strikeouts in three starts in August as he looked like a dude. I’m going to hold my hype until we get reports on his extension, velocity, movement, and HAVAA of the heater, but just watch the video above. He could shoot up the ranks quickly with Arizona’s lack of SP depth. Know the name in the spring.
Verdict: Could be a name out of nowhere next year. Monitor him in the spring (hopefully we get data!) and may be worth the spec-add when he gets the call.
264. Mitch Bratt (ARI, LHP, AA) – Watch Video
He’s a low 90s southpaw with a tight changeup (SWATCH!), and a cutter + slider that work off his lower arm-slot. I don’t have a whole lot more than that, but he does appear to be your standard Toby type when he does arrive, which could be soon with a likely promotion to Triple-A early next season. Not a top-end guy, but we’ve seen arms like him work even for 12-teamers in-season (Ian Seymour, Parker Messick, etc.).
Verdict: He’s like Kohl Drake at a younger age, with a little more going on in his arsenal, aiming to be a discount SWATCH. Not a guy to circle for now.
265. Drue Hackenberg (ATL, RHP, AA, Age 23) – Watch Video
There’s some excitement here. There’s a four-seamer and sinker in the mid-90s with promise to improve its shape over time, while a hard low-80s curveball with two-plane movement is the leading secondary. A cutter and changeup are involved as well, and I’m curious to see how they come along. Hackenberg should be monitored early in 2026 when he arrives in Triple-A, hopefully showcasing another step forward.
266. JR Ritchie (ATL, RHP, AAA, Age 22) – Watch Video
He’s a Toby type at 93/94 mph who focuses more on strikes with some crafty secondaries to earn outs and possibly return a strikeout per inning. The sinker and four-seamer merge at times, but there is a legit 4-6″ drop sinker in his utility belt, with a kick-change with massive drop for lefties (-3″ vert!). The two-plane curve at 82 mph will miss bats as well, while the sweeper/slider stays away from RHB. This could be your old Guardians style of questionable heaters and whiffable secondaries, though I worry there isn’t enough electricity to earn enough strikeouts to mask the heaters. He’s still young, however, and more refined to travel deeper into games than most of his 22-year-old counterparts. And hey, there’s a possibility the cutter takes over against LHB, solving most of the fastball issues. With his pitchability and time in Triple-A, expect Ritchie as one of the first calls to fill the rotation.
267. Nestor German (BAL, RHP, AAA, Age 23) – Watch Video
I loved watching German in the linked video. I hated the data from his two games of Triple-A. German throws a 93 mph four-seamer from a heavy over-the-top arm angle that makes his stellar 19″ of vert surprise batters less often than his lower arm-angled peers. The rest of his approach is your standard change, slider, curve that you see with extremely elevated arm angles, and while it should help return more strikes, German is your typical prospect trying to figure out how to consistently attack the edges with his offerings. With more data in Triple-A this season, I’m excited to see if he can add another layer of polish, while proving his velocity was a product of stamina in September, not his true talent.
268. Trey Gibson (BAL, RHP, AAA, Age 23) – Watch Video
He’s a really weird one and while I’m curious, he has one major flaw that is too much to get over: His four-seamer is an atrocity. Gibson’s seven feet of extension is wonderful, but 93/94 mph of deadzone movement with poor locations and a slightly steep attack angle is the meatiest of meatballs. His sinker’s movement is equally poor, though at least he locates the pitch on the inside edge to RHB. Gibson’s breakers add another wrinkle: He throws two different sliders and I have no idea which should be labeled a cutter, if either. Currently, the “cutter” looks like a gyro but with extra drop to -2/4″ of vert around 88 mph, while the “slider” has elevated vert and more sweep at 89/90 mph. They are two distinctly different pitches. And there are two more breakers – A huge curveball he struggles to consistently land low (more of a surprise pitch) and a sweeper PLV absolutely adores that he’s learned to locate with no effort to RHB down-and-away. Are those breakers enough to mask the horrific heaters? I don’t think so. However, his fascinating array of pitches makes me wonder what he could be if he ever figures out what to do with his four-seamer and sinker.
269. Will Dion (CLE, LHP, AAA, Age 25) – Watch Video
Dion is a southpaw with an extreme arm angle that creates 18-19″ of vert, but its fastball fights to stay above 90 mph and a six feet (or shorter!) extension grants even more time for batters to attack it. He does a solid job of elevating it and can turn into a SWATCH with a good fading changeup in the low 80s, and his pair of breakers – a relatively hard slider that can go inside to RHB and a 12-6 curve at 81/82 mph that can be deadly to LHB – help round out the approach. If that slowball can ruin RHB and his fastball isn’t the meatiest of meatballs, there is potential for Dion to become a surprise streamer arm despite the velocity.
270. Braden Nett (ATH, RHP, AA, Age 23) – Watch Video
Control is an issue for Nett, though he has a fun repertoire if he can find stability. He sits 95 mph with a cutter and a great big breaker, with a changeup in the mix as well. A tweak needs to be made to continue through to Triple-A as a starter given his horrid walk rate, and once he gets a chance, we can only hope he’s developed enough to appear this season.
271. Steven Echavarria (ATH, RHP)
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272. Felix Arronde (KCR, RHP, Age 22) – Watch Video
It’s a mid 93-96 mph fastball with a slider he loves down-and-away to RHB and a split-changeup with legit drop to LHB. We haven’t seen a strikeout explosion quite yet, sitting under a strikeout an inning in nearly 240 innings of A and A+ across 2024 and 2025, though he’s been incredibly difficult to hit and displayed above-average control. If he continues to gain strength in Double-A this season, Felix should be the first name the Royals consider if they are looking for a prospect to stick with the team for good.
273. Chris Cortez (LAA, RHP) – Watch Video
He throws hard with upper 90s velocity and a power slider that hovers 90 mph, but he doesn’t have depth to his mix and like many other hard throwers, control is an issue, evidenced by 84 walks in 113.2 IP of A+ in 2025. Not only does he need time to iron out the kinks, he also needs more time facing higher quality batters. The stuff can be exhilarating, but there’s a whole lot of polish left to add. After all, he had a strikeout per inning almost on the nose, indicating that his fastball doesn’t return the whiffs we normally see with this velocity.
274. Patrick Copen (LAD, RHP, AA) – Watch Video
He’s your standard Joe Boyle with good velocity and stuff, but poor control. Not quite as upper-level velocity, and I’m not sure Boyle had 52 walks in 69 innings (7.5 BB/9. Ouch. This is an obvious “Pay attention if he makes an adjustment, though I’d wager against it” arm.
275. Peter Heubeck (LAD, RHP, AA) – Watch Video
He doesn’t have the best control currently, though I was surprised to see the high walk numbers after watching his smooth delivery that speaks to what seems to be a fantastic four-seamer that routinely misses bats upstairs. That arm action creates your typical 12-6 curveball action and a gyro slider and he could shoot up prospect rankings quickly if he gets the walks in check. I wonder if the secondaries are enough to earn consistent strikes and support the heater, though the four-seamer foundation looks stellar.
276. Dax Fulton (MIA, LHP, AAA) – Watch Video
He’s a strange one. The southpaw has a big curve that acts as a sweeper with a little more depth at 81 mph, while he features a cut-fastball that sits at just 93/94 mph that you rarely see. No, he doesn’t jam it into RHB often, but if he’s able to spot it + continue polishing his changeup, Fulton looks like a solid SWATCH in the making. After all, 93/94 mph cut inside with a change should deal with RHB, even without the curveball helping as much as it does. And of course, LHB have to deal with that big breaker and a developing sinker, which should be just fine. There’s a solid pitcher in here and I would pay attention when he gets his call as a sleeper NL-Only arm, if not 15-teamer and 12-teamer worthy. That promotion is contingent on limiting his walks, of course.
277. Karson Milbrandt (MIA, RHP, AA) – Watch Video
He’s still young and developing, with just ten frames in Double-A last season, and he showcased the characteristics of a HIPSTER in Single-A with 101 strikeouts in 77 innings… and 53 walks. The word is he’s 95/96 mph four-seamer with some upper 90s in the tank in rare moments, with plus two-plane movement from the right-side and an intent to go upstairs. That’s dope! It is, when he locates. He has a trio of secondaries he that can be legit when on point, but are tough to wrangle with roughly 10+ mph lower velocity on each. I’d wait to see a season where Milbrandt focuses on strikes over stuff before jumping in.
278. Noble Meyer (MIA, RHP) – Watch Video
He’s trying to be an Aaron Nola type with a lower arm angle and riding fastballs without the vert or velocity we like to see (around low-to-mid 90s). There’s a slider that gets whiffs and a changeup that can work to LHB, though 38 walks in 65 frames in A+ ball suggests there’s still work to be done to become a proper command arm. He’s a name we’ve seen a bunch, and unless he smokes the field in Double-A this year, there’s little chance he makes it to the bigs in 2026. A spec add if he does, and I haven’t seen the dominance normally accompanied by prospects I’ve heard of.
279. Bishop Letson (MIL, RHP, AA) – Watch Video
Letson still needs innings under his belt to get the call after just four frames in Double-A and 37.1 IP in Single-A last year, missing months due to a right shoulder injury. His extension is elite, comfortably over seven feet, but lacks the velocity of his future teammate Jay Mis, sitting in the low-to-mid 90s on his fastball and hovering the low 80s with his looping breaker. Pay attention to him as he could rise quickly if he keeps his solid control and can add more electricity that can take full advantage of his ability to get extension while limiting walks.
280. Andrew Morris (MIN, RHP, AAA) – Watch Video
I’m not sure what to make of Morris. He has a cut-fastball without the best movement and low extension at 95 mph, paired with a legit 89/90 mph cutter that has a whole lot of cut, and sweeper that he struggles to command on the gloveside edge. There’s a changeup and sinker in there as well, plus that sweeper he’s experimenting with and a big curveball for LHB that I don’t think will be much of a landmark, making it come down to the four-seamer and cutter steering the ship. There’s potential, but 89 strikeouts in 94 innings of Triple-A ball isn’t quite the juice we’re looking for when considering arms to leap for when they get their call.
281. Jonathan Pintaro (NYM, RHP, AAA, Age 28) – Watch Video
Ignore the cup of coffee MLB debut from this past year. Pintaro is an arm you should know. His biggest strength is a super flat 1.6 HAVAA four-seamer at 95+ mph (sat 96/97 mph mostly in Triple-A last year, then dropped by the end), paired with a cutter and sweeper, plus a sinker he experimented with at the end of the season with 16″ of horizontal and just 1″ of vert (elite sink!). If he’s able to spot that four-seamer up often and work in the rest effectively, Pintaro could be an arm who batters struggle to handle, though it’s a big IF as Pintaro has struggled to feature an above-average hiLoc on his four-seamer, nor was he able to locate the sinker on the inside edge consistently. It’s the biggest blemish and at age 28, it may be too much to ask.
282. Jonathan Santucci (NYM, LHP, AA, Age 23) – Watch Video
He’s a southpaw who has dominated thus far, earning a 63/18 strikeout-to-walk ratio in just fifty frames on Double-A. The low-to-mid 90s fastball does well upstairs and looks like a SWATCH with a little extra giddy-up, as he has both a traditional two-plane LHP slider, and an upper 80s changeup that isn’t quite at the level of the great southpaw changeups. Keep an eye on this one.
283. Will Watson (NYM, RHP, AA, Age 23) – Watch Video
He throws a 94+ four-seamer and sinker, each with good movement, paired with a wide array of cutters, sliders, and changeups. I’m curious how the whole arsenal fits together over time and with the Mets development on his side, Watson may appear to be a command pitcher with an effective toolset at 95 mph by the time we get Triple-A data.
284. Henry Lalane (NYY, LHP) – Watch Video
He can be a legit arm and despite his young age and low volume in the minors (under 130 innings), Lalane was available in the Rule-5 draft and wasn’t selected, likely due to his health issues and lack of experience. If Lalane is healthy this year, the Yankees may be encouraged to give him a fast call-up and not waste any more bullets (a shoulder injury is a scary thing), looking like a SWATCH with a sloooow changeup flirting 80 mph, and a fastball around the mid-90s. At 6’7″, there’s hope he fills out with some extra giddy-up, too. He could fade into the unknown or rise quickly.
285. Yoniel Curet (PHI, RHP, AAA) – Watch Video
I thought I was going to like Curet under the hood, but I really don’t. He was sinker/cutter last year at 96+ mph and upper 80s on the breaker, but neither of them has a whole lot going for them outside of their velocity. It’s not exceptional fastball movement, and the “cutter” is a worse gyro slider with more lift than we want to see. This isn’t fair to Curet, though, as he produced over 300 strikeouts in 2023 and 2024, and kicked off 2025 with a shoulder injury, and was far from his old self when he returned. It’s possible he reclaims his ability this season as the distance grows from the injury, though he has a lot of climbing to do.
286. Hunter Barco (PIT, LHP, AAA) – Watch Video
Barco got a taste of the majors last season as a reliever for two games during the final week of the season and I’m not too impressed by his arsenal. It’s a 93+ mph fastball with two-plane movement but neither are special (at a 22-degree arm angle, is 14″+ vert good…? I don’t think it’s enough, but I may be wrong), with a splitter and gyro slider that has a bit extra sweep at 82 mph. He earned 82 punchouts in 73.2 IP during his time in Triple-A last season and it’s just…not enough? I think this is a wait and see, especially without a typical changeup to label him as a potential SWATCH (splitters are not reliable, y’all).
287. Wilber Dotel (PIT, RHP, AA) – Watch Video
I kinda dig Dotel. His four-seamer sits mid-90s and appears to come at a flat angle with good vert (still waiting for data) and mixes in a sinker sporadically (as one should!), an upper 80s slider/cutter with two-plane break, and even a split-change that can missed bats against both LHB/RHB, albeit with standard volatility. 2025 began and ended in Double-A, with 125.2 IP and a strong 131/43 K-to-BB ratio, and if he adds a little more polish in Triple-A this year (and the data confirms the eye test), he’ll turn some heads.
288. Hunter Dryden (SFG, RHP, Age 23) – Watch Video
Huh. It’s surprisingly hard to find a whole lot about the DIII graduate, drafted in 17th round by the Giants in 2024, and I want to see a whole lot more. That linked video is Dryden fanning ten in four innings of relief work in the Single-A semi-finals, rooted in what seems to be a Lincecum/Tong-esque delivery that dips and drives, leading to both good extension, vert, and a low attack-angle that allows a mid-90s fastball excel upstairs. He’s been reported to have a developing slider and changeup, though what I see here looks to be more polished than previous reports. Given his age, Dryden could move quicker than others up the system, and I really hope I can get more information this year.
289. Chen-Wei Lin (STL, RHP) – Watch Video
The Taiwanese native throws hard. Mid-to-upper 90s with the ability to reach triple digits, there is a bit of worry the heater has empty velocity (lacking good shape) that it’ll play worse than the eye test would suggest. Lin has an affinity for a legit changeup, though he’s shown growth with his slider becoming a proper weapon to RHB in his limited time in 2025 (cut short by a forearm issue. Yikes). Walks have been an annoyance and the arsenal isn’t fully in rhythm yet, but with his ability to hit the high 90s, there’s potential for growth before we grant the dreaded “Reliever risk” label.
290. Jackson Baumeister (TBR, RHP, AA) – Watch Video
He features a mid-90s fastball with a legit curveball, but is that enough? His 2025 was limited due to an undisclosed injury and his control nor strikeout rates suggest he needs to do more to flesh out the arsenal. He did showcase some improvement in the AFL with 7.2 extension at 94 mph and a generally flat 1.2 HAVAA, but I’m not circling him for a breakout this year.
291. T.J. Nichols (TBR, RHP)
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292. Gary Gill Hill (TBR, RHP, AA) – Watch Video
He’s a control arm who is still figuring out how to convert his low-to-mid 90s velocity into enough whiffs to become a legit starter – he nearly matched his 105 strikeouts from Single-A in double, but needed almost 30 more frames to do so (108.2 IP vs. 136.2 IP), though he maintained his abusrdly impressive ability to throw strikes with just thirty free passes issued. He’s young and with a fantastic foundation to throw strikes, he could spike quickly if whiffs find him.
293. Eriq Swan (WAS, RHP, AA) – Watch Video
Acquired from the Dodgers, Swan throws hard, hitting triple digits and features a pair of breakers – one in the mid-80s and another flirting with 90 mph. Strikeouts are there, but his inability to throw strikes hinders him plenty, returning 63 walks in 91.2 IP of A+ ball between the Dodgers and Nationals clubs. I wouldn’t expect a fast climb up the system given the control issues, but he’s one to be aware of if he makes the right tweak.
Tier 33 – No Job And It’s Meh
294. Martín Pérez (ATL, LHP)
It looks like Atlanta was aware of the Schwellenbach injury in late January when they added Pérez to the squad, who likely will be the #5 out of camp to soak up innings while the young stud sits on the IL. For those unfamiliar with Pérez’s game, he was a SWATCH before it was cool, relying on his command to land sinkers and changeups away + cutters inside to RHB, while the sinker routinely jams LHB, hoping to get the rare punchout with slowballs at two strikes. There’s not a whole lot else in the tank, and while it can make for some decent nights of 5 IP and 2 ER, I’d be shocked if he became a staple of successful Aprils. Maybe one game here or there at most, that’s it.
Quick Take: I’m expecting Atlanta to get whatever they can from Pérez at the start of the season with Schwellenbach out for at least two months, which means there is some streaming potential for a cheap Win here and there. And while his sinker can take down LHB and the changeup befuddles RHB, his supporting cast are failing more each year to hold up their end of the Hava Nagila chair. I suggest you lean back and refuse to chase Pérez on the wire, so you stay in your seat.
295. Carson Seymour (SFG, RHP)
Seymour was the more intriguing Carson last year due to his velocity, but now that Whisenhunt has flexed 96 mph, Seymour sure pales in comparison. Yes, he’s also at 96 mph, but it’s Empty Velocity. Seymour’s actual skills are a two-plane 81 mph curveball and 90 mph cutter that acts like a gyro slider – that’s fun and could spell success if he commands everything well. However, the poor fastball shapes at a steep attack angle and mid extension have me out.
296. Bobby Miller (LAD, RHP)
Look, I know all the jokes n whatnot, but he still exists and tweaks are things, you know. Last we saw him, he still had 97 mph velocity (still deadzone) with above-average extension (6.7, not the fliration with 7 feet as it was in 2023), and I’ll contend that the biggest flaw from Miller wasn’t the stuff. Nay, it was the approach. Maybe he’s stopped throwing gloveside fastballs, aiming down-and-away to RHB. That’s the wrong place to throw him somewhat flat heater, and it was DEMOLISHED. Given his slider and curve also landed in the same place, batters keyholed one area and had a field day. This should be the typical high four-seamer, inside sinker, curveballs over the plate/down, and sliders/sweepers away. He’ll still need more from his changeup to LHB if he’s not locating the four-seamer well, but there is a path, at the very least. And maybe he’s got two ticks back on the heater or more extension or a better feel for his slider to create a proper cutter to LHB? WHO KNOWS?! There’s a chance, that’s all I’m saying.
297. Emerson Hancock (SEA, RHP)
It’s just you again, Mr. Hancock. The Mariners managed to go through the off-season without adding any reasonable depth option to the team (somehow), and now Hancock will need to step up once again when the inevitable injury hits. And it’s not like he has nothing to provide, but he just hasn’t displayed an ability to command it. The sinker’s near 20″ of horizontal ride is awesome and hey! 27% ICR to RHB! Great! What else? Uhhhh, a low strike rate on his filthy changeup and sub 14% SwStr on his 59% strike slider? Those are not good things. Oh, you wanted good things? It’s that bad? Yeaaaah. The changeup has the most potential, but Hancock lacks the feel for it, and that’s your ballgame. Best of luck to the fella, I really hope it clicks for him. Until then, don’t rest in the Hancock Hammock.
Quick Take: The sinker is great to RHB and nothing else supports the pitch reliably. He’ll get some chances this year as the SP #6 on the Mariners, but without developing the ability to earn strikes with his secondaries, it’ll be another season of rickety outings.
298. Adam Mazur (MIA, RHP)
Mazur came to Miami via trade from San Diego and he fits the “one legit slider, not much else” profile. The four-seamer carries vert on paper, but from his high arm angle it doesn’t translate into deception. He’s part of the same organizational wave of high-arm-angle arms the Marlins have accumulated. One quality secondary is a start, it’s not enough to build a starter’s profile around. No fantasy value.
299. Jack Kochanowicz (LAA, RHP)
How do you spell Kochanowicz? With one K. Formerly known as The Jack of One Trade, Kochanowicz’s well spotted sinker disappeared in 2025 and he spent the year experimenting with his arsenal to find a new path toward success. The good news? It doesn’t seem like he’s done tweaking after a rough campaign, lifting his arm angle and hopefully finding a new feel for his pitches. If he had his old sinker command back, I’d be so down given the elite sink on the pitch at 95/96 mph that carried over to his changeup against LHB, and what if he had a great breaker to go with it? Wouldn’t that be fun? I wonder who we’ll see this season as I’m sure he’ll get a chance at some point to reclaim a rotation spot.
300. Caden Dana (LAA, RHP)
He seems like a standard guy who throws 95 mph. His slider has some extra movement at 85+ mph that can be a proper weapon to RHB, and the changeup has moments with great drop to LHB, but in the end, it’s a meh fastball without the electricity you’re looking for. He’ll be reliant on stellar command to get your attention and here’s to hoping he does so. Given Manoah and Kochanowicz as his two competitors, I imagine we’ll see Dana soon enough and I hope he looks far better than what we’ve had so far.
Quick Take: Dana is the perfect example of a pitcher not worth your time until he does something worth your time. He’s not so far off from doing that, but he needs one more pitch to step forward + runway in the rotation to get there.
| Rank | Pitcher | Team | Badges | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Garrett CrochetT1 | BOS | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 2 | Paul Skenes | PIT | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 3 | Tarik Skubal | DET | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 4 | Bryan WooT2 | SEA | Aces Gonna Ace Ratio Focused | - |
| 5 | Yoshinobu Yamamoto | LAD | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | - |
| 6 | Max Fried | NYY | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | - |
| 7 | Cristopher Sánchez | PHI | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | - |
| 8 | Logan Gilbert | SEA | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | - |
| 9 | Hunter Greene | CIN | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | - |
| 10 | Hunter Brown | HOU | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | - |
| 11 | Shohei Ohtani | LAD | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 12 | Logan WebbT3 | SF | Holly Quality Starts | - |
| 13 | Joe Ryan | MIN | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 14 | Freddy Peralta | NYM | Ace Potential Wins Bonus | +2 |
| 15 | Jacob deGromT4 | TEX | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +3 |
| 16 | Cole Ragans | KC | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -2 |
| 17 | George Kirby | SEA | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts Injury Risk | -2 |
| 18 | Tyler Glasnow | LAD | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +1 |
| 19 | Chris Sale | ATL | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +1 |
| 20 | Kyle BradishT5 | BAL | Ace Potential Quality Starts | -3 |
| 21 | Eury Pérez | MIA | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 22 | Nick Pivetta | SD | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +8 |
| 23 | Ryan Pepiot | TB | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 24 | Drew Rasmussen | TB | Ace Potential Ratio Focused | -1 |
| 25 | Cam Schlittler | NYY | Ace Potential Wins Bonus | - |
| 26 | Sandy Alcantara | MIA | Ace Potential Quality Starts | - |
| 27 | Framber Valdez | DET | Ace Potential Quality Starts | - |
| 28 | Michael KingT6 | SD | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -4 |
| 29 | Dylan Cease | TOR | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | - |
| 30 | Jesús Luzardo | PHI | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +12 |
| 31 | Kevin GausmanT7 | TOR | Holly Quality Starts | +5 |
| 32 | Trevor Rogers | BAL | Holly Quality Starts | +16 |
| 33 | Tatsuya Imai | HOU | Holly Quality Starts | +1 |
| 34 | Nolan McLean | NYM | Holly Wins Bonus | +1 |
| 35 | Bubba Chandler | PIT | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +5 |
| 36 | Trey Yesavage | TOR | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +5 |
| 37 | Cade Horton | CHC | Holly Wins Bonus | +10 |
| 38 | Robbie RayT8 | SF | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | +6 |
| 39 | Nathan Eovaldi | TEX | Ace Potential Quality Starts Injury Risk | +4 |
| 40 | Jacob Misiorowski | MIL | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -8 |
| 41 | Chase Burns | CIN | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -10 |
| 42 | Shane McClanahanT9 | TB | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -5 |
| 43 | Kris Bubic | KC | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +21 |
| 44 | Blake Snell | LAD | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -11 |
| 45 | Bryce MillerT10 | SEA | Holly Ratio Focused | +7 |
| 46 | Edward Cabrera | CHC | Holly Wins Bonus | -8 |
| 47 | Andrew Abbott | CIN | Holly Quality Starts | -8 |
| 48 | Shota Imanaga | CHC | Ace Potential Ratio Focused | -3 |
| 49 | Aaron Nola | PHI | Holly Quality Starts | +11 |
| 50 | MacKenzie GoreT11 | TEX | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | - |
| 51 | Emmet Sheehan | LAD | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | - |
| 52 | Ryan Weathers | NYY | Frizzle Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +2 |
| 53 | Nick LodoloT12 | CIN | Holly Strikeout Upside | -7 |
| 54 | Sonny Gray | BOS | Holly Wins Bonus | -5 |
| 55 | Ranger Suarez | BOS | Holly Quality Starts | - |
| 56 | Noah Cameron | KC | Holly Ratio Focused | - |
| 57 | Gavin Williams | CLE | Holly Strikeout Upside | - |
| 58 | Shane Baz | BAL | Holly Strikeout Upside Team Context Effect | -5 |
| 59 | Ryne Nelson | ARI | Holly Ratio Focused | -1 |
| 60 | Joe Musgrove | SD | Holly Wins Bonus Injury Risk | +2 |
| 61 | Zac Gallen | ARI | Holly Quality Starts | +9 |
| 62 | Brandon WoodruffT13 | MIL | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -34 |
| 63 | Gerrit Cole | NYY | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -2 |
| 64 | Zack Wheeler | PHI | Ace Potential Quality Starts Injury Risk | -1 |
| 65 | Carlos Rodón | NYY | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | - |
| 66 | Jared Jones | PIT | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +UR |
| 67 | Spencer Schwellenbach | ATL | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -1 |
| 68 | Shane Bieber | TOR | Ace Potential Quality Starts Injury Risk | -9 |
| 69 | Matthew BoydT14 | CHC | Toby Quality Starts | -2 |
| 70 | Luis Castillo | SEA | Toby Quality Starts | -2 |
| 71 | Merrill Kelly | ARI | Toby Quality Starts | -2 |
| 72 | Zach Eflin | BAL | Toby Quality Starts | - |
| 73 | Andrew PainterT15 | PHI | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 74 | Spencer Strider | ATL | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 75 | Logan Henderson | MIL | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 76 | Robby Snelling | MIA | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 77 | Braxton Ashcraft | PIT | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -4 |
| 78 | Tanner Bibee | CLE | Toby Hipster Wins Bonus | -3 |
| 79 | Jack Flaherty | DET | Hipster Frizzle Strikeout Upside | -5 |
| 80 | Kodai SengaT16 | NYM | Toby Quality Starts Injury Risk | +UR |
| 81 | Joey Cantillo | CLE | Toby Quality Starts | -10 |
| 82 | Bailey Ober | MIN | Toby Quality Starts | -4 |
| 83 | Cody Ponce | TOR | Toby Quality Starts | +UR |
| 84 | Brayan Bello | BOS | Toby Quality Starts | -5 |
| 85 | Seth Lugo | KC | Toby Quality Starts | +UR |
| 86 | Landen Roupp | SF | Toby Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 87 | Tyler Mahle | SF | Toby Ratio Focused | -2 |
| 88 | Max Scherzer | TOR | Toby Wins Bonus | -2 |
| 89 | Quinn Priester | MIL | Toby Ratio Focused | -7 |
| 90 | Ryan Weiss | HOU | Toby Team Context Effect | +UR |
| 91 | Shane Smith | CWS | Toby Strikeout Upside | -7 |
| 92 | Jack LeiterT17 | TEX | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | -4 |
| 93 | Cristian Javier | HOU | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | -4 |
| 94 | Zebby Matthews | MIN | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | -4 |
| 95 | Mike Burrows | HOU | Frizzle Ratio Focused | +UR |
| 96 | Grant Holmes | ATL | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 97 | Grayson Rodriguez | LAA | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +UR |
| 98 | Spencer Arrighetti | HOU | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 99 | Jacob Lopez | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | -7 | |
| 100 | Will Warren | NYY | Toby Wins Bonus | -5 |
Labels Legend
Photos by Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)
